The Moon Shines Bright
by WhimsicalWordweaver
Summary: A series of one-shots about the Guardians and how they adjusted to live as a family. After three hundred years, everything can't be easy, especially with the added responsibility of protecting the children of the world. Really, the hardest challenge is learning how to successfully live with each other, despite the blaring differences between them.
1. Chapter 1

The Guardians agreed to meet once every week since the defeat of Pitch. The meetings were fun, even with the talk of business, but the Big Four really just wanted to make sure that their youngest member was handling everything well. Being a Guardian was such a big responsibility. Plus, they were more than a little guilty about leaving him all alone for three hundred years. They wanted to do the impossible and make up for it. They wanted Jack to know that he was accepted… and loved.

So far… he did not.

Jack flew in through the window North left open for him and landed lightly on the floor. He glared half-heartedly at the lit fireplace in the room, but it honestly did not bother him much. He actually loved the unusual feeling of a roof over his head and the slight warmth in the air. It made him feel like he actually had a home.

Jack shook his head. He could not allow himself to think like that for long. It only led to more heartbreak. In reality, he knew he was not truly wanted. The others only kept him around because that was what the Man in the Moon wanted. Jack glared at the Moon, but after three hundred years of doing so, it lost the fire of hatred. Now his gaze only held tired, sad acceptance.

"Jack! First to arrive! As always!" North boomed into the room, giving Jack a light pat on the back. Jack buckled a little and clutched his staff closer to his chest.

He put on a grin, "Well, ever since I became a Guardian, I thought I'd give a try to this whole responsible thing."

North laughed, "Good, this suits you better!"

Jack smiled, but it was not a real one. The Guardian's had no problem voicing what they thought of how he acted back then. They had no problem talking how much they despised him. He huddled in on himself and gently pulled away from North's touch. For a second, North was at a loss for what to do. There was something about Jack that always seemed closed off. They fell into an almost uncomfortable silence until North cleared his throat.

"Why don't you go to kitchen and grab tray of hot cocoa. I'll wait here for others."

Jack raised an eyebrow. Usually, North had one of the yetis bring the hot coca. Still, he did not want to cause an argument so he wordlessly nodded his head and made his way to the kitchen. North smiled as he left, he had big plans for today, and he wanted it to be perfect. He only had to keep Jack distracted while the other Guardians arrived.

…

Jack gently made his way back to the den where he left North. He was delicately balancing the tray of mugs in his hands, his staff clutched in the crook of his elbow. He frowned as he saw the mostly closed door to the den; he was positive that he left it blaringly wide open. He inched his way forward and was about to toe open the door when voices made him stop. The other Guardians must have arrived.

Aster's voice carried out, "How do you think Frostbite would take that?"

Tooth's voice, "What do you mean?"

"What would he do if we told him we wanted him to leave?"

What. _What?!_

Jack stepped back as if he had been struck. The Guardians wanted him to leave? The Guardians... did not want him? The tray slipped from his hands and landed with a crash. The voices in the other room cut off, but Jack no longer cared. He gripped his staff tightly in his hands as he ran through the den, passed the Guardians, and jumped out of the window. The Wind wrapped comfortingly around him and carried him back to the pond, his home. The Wind gently placed him down in the center of the pond. It swirled around him, ruffling his hair and clothes, trying to offer him comfort. Jack leaned into the Wind.

"You're the only one that's always there for me," Jack whispered, and the first tears began to fall. He roughly wiped them away. He was not going to cry for them. He. Was. Not.

There was a slight sound of bells and then a bright light appeared next to Jack. The Guardians stepped through the portal and stared at Jack. The Wind immediately rushed toward the Guardians and pushed them back to the edge of the pond.

Jack stood, refusing to look at them, "What do you want?"

North stepped forward warily, "Jack, what you heard, was not the truth."

Jack laughed, but it was not cheerful, "Don't lie to me. I heard you."

Tooth fluttered forward, "Jack, we really do care about you. Please, believe that."

The anger in Jack exploded outward, ice spreading everywhere starting where he stood, "Why should I? I have three hundred years of evidence against that."

The Four stopped, unable to come up with a reply. The ice suddenly stopped, and Jack against his staff.

"I tried really hard to be better. To be someone you guys would want to keep me around. I tried to stay on time. I stopped stealing what I needed. I stopped pulling pranks on you, but I guess that was not enough. I don't know what else I can do."

The Guardians still did not have the capacity to speak. They never really noticed much of a change in Jack. Maybe they were not really looking.

"It's better for everyone if I'm left alone."

A muted cry came from Tooth's throat and she practically threw herself at Jack. She almost made it, but the Wind knocked her back before she could make contact. The Wind swirled protectively around Jack.

"Mate, please listen to us."

_That _made Jack pause. Out of everyone in the Big Four, Aster was the one that hated him the most. Why would he care about Jack believing them? Jack stared at them. Why were they trying so hard? It did not make sense. Unless… they really did mean it.

"Fine. I will." Jack really hoped that they would not make him regret that.

The look of elation on their faces started to make Jack hope. He tried to crush it down, but after so long alone… this was the one thing that he had truly been craving. One snow globe later and they were all back at Santoff Clausen. The Big Four gently led him down the hallway, standing as close as the Wind would allow.

"What you heard, Jack, was not us trying to send you away from us, but rather us trying to send you away from your pond."

"My pond?"

"Well, of course you can go there whenever you like, but do you have real home there, Jack? Somewhere to sleep at night?"

Jack shook his head, but he felt a strong urge to defend it, "No, but it's really not that bad. Sometimes, I sleep on a branch and sometimes I sleep in a snow bank. They can be pretty comfortable. Most of the time, though, I just don't sleep. It's not like we really need to."

"You need sleep, mate. Even if you are mortal."

"Well, I get enough sleep so I can function properly and not get sick, but a few sleepless nights won't kill me."

"Jack, how often do you sleep?" Tooth asked.

Jack shrugged, "Maybe once a week."

"You need more than that, Frostbite."

Sandy winced, knowing that the tone in which Aster said that would cause a spark in the boy.

Jack stiffened, "What do you know, Kangaroo? I am just find, how I am, right now."

"You obviously are not, mate."

"Don't even begin to think you know what's best for me."

North jumped in, thankfully, "Hush. We are here."

Here was a dark chestnut door that looked like it had never been opened. In the center, there was a single carved snowflake. Jack stared at it, mouth agape. Could he really let himself hope?

"What is this?"

"Why don't you open it and find out?"

Jack reached out a shaking hand and opened the door. The room inside was large. It had a dresser and a desk that same deep chestnut as the door. There was a large bed that looked perfect for jumping on. The comforter was fluffy and was an icy blue that matched Jack's sweater. There was a gigantic window, larger than Jack himself that showed the snowstorm that was occurring outside. It had a perfect view of the Moon. The room was beautiful.

"What do you think?"

"I… This… is for me?"

Tooth grinned, "Of course, Jack."

"You want me to _stay_?"

North clapped his back, "Yes! We want you to stay. You're family."

"… Family." Jack tried the word on his tongue. It was odd and unused but he loved the way it felt. The memories of his old family were happy, but they were faded. It was so long ago. He had been alone for so long, too long. Could he really be part of another family?

"What do ya say Frostbite?"

Really, how could he say anything else?

"Yes."

The Big Four were ecstatic and they hugged him all at once. It was crowded, over-whelming, and very, very hot, but Jack did not care. He was cared for and had a family now.

For the first time in a long time, Jack was truly happy.


	2. Chapter 2

Jack's powers were not like the others. The Big Four drew their magic from the outside and manipulated it to how they needed it at the time. Jack, however, was an elemental, his powers came from himself. However, when he was reborn, nobody came to him. Nobody taught him anything. He had no idea how his powers truly worked, and as such, he had no complete control over them.

The Big Four did not know that.

They would soon learn.

Today was a day where the Guardians took a break. Christmas had just ended. Aster was ahead in his egg making, Tooth's fairies could last one night, and Sandy could control his sand from Santoff Clausen. The world could last one day without freshly fallen snow. They could take a break for one night.

Jack walked into the warm den, and the temperature immediately dropped and the fire flicked as if in anger of being almost put out. The Big Four immediately began to shiver.

"Hey, cool it with the cold, Frostbite."

Jack frowned, confused, "What do you mean?"

North, sensing an almost unavoidable fight, jumped in, "What he means is that you should not be using your powers now. We are resting. Get comfortable."

Jack tensed up, "I… can't."

"It's bloody freezing."

"It is, Jack. Can't you just not use your powers for a little while?" Tooth was gently, but Jack was already getting riled up.

Sandy immediately saw the problem, as he always did, and tried to gain the attention of his friends. Elementals were rare; of course they did not understand how they truly worked. Sandy wondered if Jack understood himself. Sandy's attempts were in vain as he was ignored.

"Why?"

Aster's short temper exploded, "Because, ya little twerp, none of us like the cold!"

Jack stepped back in shock. If they hated the cold, didn't that mean that they hated him? They did know that he _was _the embodiment of cold, right? It was not some spell. Did they not understand that he was his power and his power was him? How could they not? Alright, so he did not have the best control, but at least he did not freeze everything he touched, as he did for his first few months of his rebirth. Even still, he had disappointed them once again.

Sandy stood, ready to diffuse the situation. He had to tread carefully , Jack had no sense of self-security. He always felt like someone was after him.

Before Sandy could do anything, the room was flooded with red light. All of the Guardians stood, ready to combat whatever was wrong. For now, their own problems were forgotten.

"What is wrong?" North wondered aloud as they ran to the Globe Room. The lights were all on, but there was a small cluster in the middle of Canada that were glowing a bright vibrant red.

"The children are in danger, we must go now!" Tooth flittered.

"Everyone to the sleigh!"

For once, even Aster had no objections. They all piled into the sleigh and one snow globe later, they were in Canada. They swooped down and followed the red lights to a small clearing in the middle of the woods.

There was a small child in the middle, kneeling down and crying. Pitch was standing over him. He looked in extreme disarray. His clothes were in tatters and looked so very exhausted. He smiled.

"Ah, the Guardians… and Jack! I'm surprised to see you here. I was certain that they would have kicked you out already."

Jack clenched his teeth and said nothing. He was more than a little hurt when the Big Four said nothing too.

Pitch picked up on it, "Oh… There's trouble in the house already, is there? Well, it was only a matter of time."

"Stop," Jack whispered.

"You've made mistakes so many times. You've done so many bad things."

"Please."

"They don't like you. Why do you think it took them three-hundred years?"

"Shut up."

"Wait until they find everything that is wrong with you."

Jack sprang forward in anger. Ice grew from every step he took and he swung his staff at Pitch. Pitch took the hit and staggered back. Jack kept up the assault, blind with rage.

The Big Four watched the fight with awe. Never had they seen Jack so enraged before. It was horrifying. A loud cry cut them from their reverie. The small boy in the middle was sobbing, and the Guardians could never ignore a crying child. They ran to the boy and reached for him.

Pitch's strength was dwindling.

The boy sharply looked up and the Big Four saw that his eyes were made of dark, black sand. They stumbled back, but it was too late. The boy exploded, sand shooting outward, wrapping around the Big Four. They struggled, but they could not break their tight bonds. The sand extended and made a giant dome, cutting all of them off from the outside world.

Jack paused in his continuing assault and that was all Pitch needed. He hit Jack, making him stumble and grabbed him by his hair. Pitch wrenched the staff from Jack's hands and held it high above his head. The sudden strength was surprising. The Guardians had thought him weak.

Pitch had been counting on that.

"My, my," Pitch practically purred, "I must say I am slightly disappointed. You barely held up in a single fight." Jack growled and tried to pull his hair out of Pitch's grasp.

North pulled again his bonds, "We thought you dead."

The Nightmare King laughed, "You thought me slain by the very Nightmares I created? Come now, I thought you were smarter than that. All this time, I have only been getting stronger."

"What are you trying to gain? Revenge?"

"Well, yes, but it's more than that. You see, Jack," here he pulled viciously on his hair, "was always meant to be on my side. What goes better with fear than cold? There is a reason why people feel a chill going up their spine when they become afraid."

Tooth lashed out, or tried to at least, "You can't have him!"

Pitch laughed, "Oh, you poor Guardians, you don't understand. He's already mine."

The staff snapped.

Jack screamed and his body jerked. Pitch grinned and threw Jack to the ground. He held the broken staff in front of him and snapped it again. This time, Jack screamed, but ice shot away from him, creating jagged ice on the ground. They went all the way out to the edge of the black dome. Jack regained control of his powers, but only barely. It left him panting for breath.

The Guardians struggled to be free of their bonds to help their fallen teammate. It was to no avail and the situation only got worse as they realized their bonds were only getting tighter.

"Look at that, Jack. The Guardians are going to die and you are going to watch."

Jack pushed himself onto his knees, trying to stand. The Guardians tried to call out to him, but black sand wrapped around their mouths. Jack staggered to his feet and tried to lunge toward Pitch, but he only succeeded in falling flat on his face.

"The Guardians knew you were useless; now you can prove it."

The bonds grew tighter and the Guardians could not breathe. Jack wanted to cry out to them and help them, but he was so weak. He could feel his powers building under his skin; only he had no way to control it. He would create a blizzard. He had to hold it back; he could not let it overtake him. Jack forced himself to his feet.

"Are you going to let them just die?" Pitch circled around him.

"You don't belong with them. Are you really so scared of yourself? You could shine. All you have to do is let yourself be free."

Jack was shaking. He hand went up to his head. He had such a headache, he was exhausted, but his body was high-strung. He had to save his family, but how could he?

"They don't want you, Jack. They never did. I bet they don't even know what it truly meants to be an elemental."

It was true. They had no idea.

"Just do what you do best, Jack. Let them die."

_No._

Jack's body went rigid as his powers ripped out of him. His head was tilted back and his arms were outstretched to his sides. Ice spread out from where his feet touched the ground. Wind whipped around him carrying less than freezing temperatures and sharp ice shards. Snow was everywhere, creating a blinding whiteness. Jack's eyes were glowing a bright, light blue. The light flared as his power grew. There was only the dangerous, white blizzard.

Pitch looked on with shining eyes and turned toward the Guardians, "Isn't he beautiful?"

Then he was gone, taking the black sand with him.

The Big Four fell to their freedom, but that was the last thing on their mind. For now, all they could think of was Jack. They could barely see him through the thick snowstorm.

"We have to save him!"

"How?"

"It is our job to protect children. We will find a way to protect our own."

With that they all plunged into the blizzard.


	3. Chapter 3

The Big Four gained new cuts with every step they took further into the blizzard. Still, they pushed forward, only hoping to save their friend. He had to be ok; they _needed _him to be ok. They had to tell him what he meant to them. Too many mistakes had been made, and they had to fix them. The blizzard was hard and unforgiving. The Big Four were blind as they marched on. Where was Jack?

Then, there he was.

Right in the eye of the storm, Jack stood, power emanating from him. The Big Four had never felt any magic as strong as this before. It was truly terrifying, no wonder Pitch wanted him.

But he was _their _friend. _Their _family.

"Jack! You need to stop now!" Tooth yelled.

Jack could not hear her. His powers were running torrent through his body, he was lost in it. It was too much, too much. He could not stop it; it was controlling him. It hurt, it hurt so much.

"We have to keep going! We need to get closer!"

"We're never going to make it in right piece! There's too much ice!"

"Jack _is _ice! If we let this stop up, then we don't deserve him."

"Tooth is right," North said, "We push forward."

The Big Four marched onward, stumbling as the Wind was forced to try and push them away. They were bleeding and bruised, but they were determined. With each step, they were getting closer and closer to Jack. They would save him, they had to.

Then they were in the eye of the storm.

They were right next to Jack, but the blizzard was behind them. All they felt was a slight breeze; all they heard was silence. They could feel the raw power emanating from him; it was staggering. However, they could not deny that Jack was beautiful. His pure white hair ruffled in the breeze and his eyes glowed a stunning cyan blue.

The only problem was that right now, he was not truly Jack.

He was stock still, arms outstretched at his sides and mouth slightly agape. It was like he was empty; filled instead with only blizzards and power.

"Jack, stop!" Tooth begged. The Guardians joined in her pleading; they had no idea how to help. North reached out and gently put his hand on Jack's shoulder.

They cyan light flickered out, the blizzard stopped, and Jack collapsed.

North caught him and lifted him up. "Jack," he whispered, "Can you hear me?"

He did not reply. He was unconscious and complete dead weight in North's arms, but he _was not dead. _He _could not be dead. _

"Grab his staff, let's go home."

They piled into the sleigh, Aster gingerly holding the staff, while Jack's limp body was draped over Tooth's lap.

"Hold on tight. We go fast."

True to his word, the sleigh began to fly as fast as North dared to fly it. Sandy barely had time to throw the snow globe. Once Santoff Clausen was in sight, North slowed the sleigh, trying to keep the landing soft.

He looked back at his family, "How is he?"

Sandy shook his head while Aster spoke, "Not good."

It was true; Jack was in a restful state. He rolled and arched, trying to escape whatever was plaguing him. Words that meant nothing tumbled from his lips. He was delirious.

"Oh, North. He feels warm." Tooth cried.

"It will be fine," North assured her, and then he muttered more to himself, "He will be fine."

…

"Put him on his bed!" Aster said, pulling the blankets back.

North gently put him down, and as he let go, Jack convulsed. It was only for a few seconds, but it happened all the same.

"What can we do?"

The window burst open and the Wind flew in, bringing snow with her. She gently picked up the broken pieces of the staff and carried them around. Finally, with a great gush, she forces the pieces into the hands of the Big Four.

"What do we do with this?" North asked.

"Should we put it back together?"

"Can we?"

The Wind swirled once more before settling still fully around Jack. His body was limp and still now, and the Big Four was truly terrified,

"So we must put staff together. Easy."

"Mate, I don't think it's as simple as that."

"Nonsense! We are Guardians. It's what we do."

The Big Four lapsed into silences, all staring at their youngest member. He looked almost peaceful, and that was wrong, so very, very wrong.

"What happened back there?"

"I have no idea."

"How did he do that? Magic was pouring from him."

"It looked like the magic was controlling him."

"That's impossible."

"No, it's not." Jack's voice was hoarse and quiet.

"Jack! You're ok!" The Big Four came close, surrounding him. Jack gave a small smile and tried to sit up. Half way up, he froze for a second before collapsing back on to the bed with a small pain filled groan.

"I'm not really ok, guys."

"What's wrong?"

Jack's eyes clenched shut as the pain began to make itself known to his waking body.

"Staff."

"Yea, Frostbite, how do we fix it?"

"Me. Magic." Oh, God why did Jack wake up? He almost never did whenever this happed. He'd much rather be unconscious again.

"We can't do it?"

"No!"Jack hated the aftermath of losing control. His powers were running rampant; he had to make sure it all stayed inside of him. It left him in pain and oversensitive, every brush felt like a stab. It also made him extremely dangerous. It would not be the first time he killed someone by accident from this.

"What can we do, Frostbite?"

"Nothing. Go away."

"We're not leaving you."

Jack's power surged and his body jolted, but he managed to stop it in time, "Have to. Dangerous."

"Dangerous? What's dangerous?"

"Me!" He slipped a little and the temperature dropped; ice began to form on the bed. Jack should really be asleep.

"You're not dangerous."

"Yes! I am. Control is gone."

"What do you mean?"

"Elemental."

"What?"

Jack could feel his control disappearing, this needed to stop, but could he really risk accessing the magic necessary to fix his staff? Another wave of pain rolled through him and he made his decision.

He gasped, "Staff."

The Big Four did not question his request. They all handed the pieces to him. He fumbled for a minute, trying to get all the pieces to fit together. After a moment, the Guardians reached out and put it together for him; then they held it out to him. Jack smiled slightly and reached out, placing his hands on the two cracks in the wood. He took a deep breath, and there was a flash of blue light, and then Jack collapsed back in the bed, unconscious.

But the staff was fixed.

The Big Four were shocked and confused; that was it? Apparently, yes. At least this time Jack seemed peaceful in his slumber.

"Do you think he's ok?"

"I am sure of it."

"Should we… leave?"

North thought for a moment before shaking his head, "No. We shall stay her for night. We'll make sure everything goes well."

The Big Four made themselves as comfortable as possible on the cold floor. The exhaustion of fighting with Pitch and worrying for Jack began to hit them, and they were all asleep within a few seconds.

…

The next morning, the Big Four awoke to see that Jack's bed was empty and the window was open. They all jumped to their feet and peered out, trying to find Jack in his natural element. They saw him, a good distance away from Santoff Clausen, just standing there. Then, he burst into motion, swinging his staff around and releasing a giant gust of ice and wind. He paused for a moment, breathing, and did it again.

"What is he doing?"

Aster had already hopped out of the window and made his way to Jack, "What are you up to, Frostbite?"

Jack blew out a quick breath, "I told you, I'm an elemental. After a loss of control like that, I need to get rid of this excess energy before it bursts out of me again. I don't want to do that again."

The rest of the Guardians trotted over to meet them.

Tooth smiled, "Are you feeling better?"

"A lot better."

"Good."

Jack shot one more burst of ice into the open air before turning and grinning at the Big Four, "There. Everything is back under control."

"I am glad, Jack, but we have to ask. What happened back there?"

Jack sighed and leaned on his staff, "It's complicated and what I do know, I had to figure out for myself. I do know that it happened because I'm not just a spirit; I'm an elemental."

"What's that?"

Jack shrugged, "It's complicated. Elementals are rare. Our magic is different. We don't draw our power from the outside or believers. We _are _our powers. I can't stop making cold and ice, because I am cold and ice."

"So what we said, before our fight with Pitch. When was asked you to stop…" Tooth broke off with a group as she realized the true weight of their earlier words.

Aster spoke, "Sorry, Frostbite. I… uh… didn't mean anything about you."

"You didn't know. It's fine. We're fine."

"So… what did exactly happen?"

Jack sighed. "Elementals. Since we are our powers, our magic is dependent on our emotions. Plus, the power we are given is strong, we control an entire element! And I'm a Seasonal on top of that! It's difficult enough to keep it all contained on a normal day!"

"So, what Pitch said… It got to you."

Jack glanced away, "Not only that, but he broke my staff. It's not just a random stick. All elementals have something like it. It's like a regulator; it takes off some of the stress and the weight. We connect with it and we can store some of our power in it; it makes everything easier to handle. When the staff broke, all of it just rushed back to me, and with what Pitch said… I lost it."

Jack leaned back and refused to look at the Big Four. Now, they knew his weakness. What would they do? Would they send him away? They probably wanted to. Jack promised himself that he would not cry. He had been alone for three hundred years, he could do it again.

Then, Tooth hugged him.

Jack stiffened, but did not pull away. Instead, he was confused. Why was she hugging him? Jack let himself hope. The last time he did, everything worked out in the end.

"I had no idea you had to so much."

"It's not bad, really. I've been doing it this whole life."

"You're strong, Jack. Stronger than most."

"Thanks." Jack wished he could properly show how much they all meant to him.

They knew; they always did.

"Jack, you are family. We care not if you are an Elemental or a Seasonal. We only care about you."

"I… forget that sometimes."

"That's fine, mate."

"We'll always be there to remind you."


End file.
